Sleep affects every aspect of your health. It can boosts your immune system and help to fight off diseases, improve your mood and enhance brain performance. This is why your mattress is such a critical component of healthy sleep hygiene.
How long your mattress lasts depends on the material and maintenance. Innerspring mattresses typically last five and a half to six and a half years. Meanwhile, foam and hybrid beds keep their use a little longer (six to seven years.) Latex beds offer the most durability — 10 to 20 years on average.
Our guide on making a mattress last longer contains helpful tips to help you get the most out of your investment so you can sleep soundly.
How to make your mattress last longer
Let’s get into some of the ways you can prolong the life of your mattress.
Use a mattress protector
It’s no surprise that a mattress protector is an essential part of your bedding kit. They serve as a protective barrier between you and your bed, absorbing sweat, dirt, makeup, dust mites, dead skin cells and other items that would nestle into the mattress if left unprotected. Most importantly, it prevents the bed from staining, which in many cases can void your warranty.
When selecting a mattress protector, finding a durable one is vital. If you tend to sleep warm, look for one possessing performance fabric. It will absorb the sweat, so your bed doesn’t have to.
There are also two kinds of mattress protectors available. Fitted mattress protectors work like a fitted sheet, covering every inch of your bedding. Meanwhile, encasement mattress protectors use zippers on the side to cover the bedding. The benefit to these is they keep out dust mites, bugs, and more.
Wash bed sheets frequently
Ideally, you want to wash your bed sheets weekly. When you wash them, you can use the setting for delicates. If your washer has a setting specifically for sheets, use that. Unless you have thick bedding, you won’t need the heavy-duty function. Washing your bed sheets ensures your bedding remains fresh and protects your mattress from incurring stains and moisture from sweat.
Ensure your mattress is well supported
Having support under your mattress ensures it wears evenly with regular use. For innerspring mattresses, have a box spring to support them. With foam beds, a solid platform suffices. Along with helping the mattress spread its use evenly, it keeps your bed under warranty with your manufacturer.
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
I know this will be the rule you’ll like the least. As much fun as it is to treat your mattress like a trampoline, over time, this action could wear down your bed faster. Manufacturers design beds for regular use. Jumping on the bed creates harsher impacts that can damage the bed and void your warranty.
Flip your mattress regularly
One of the most effective ways to make your bed last longer is to flip or rotate the mattress. It prevents your bed from forming a permanent dip because you use the same part of your bed every night.
Your manufacturer has instructions on if you need to rotate or flip your bed and when to do so — usually, this is every few months. Meanwhile, some models like Tempur-Pedic won’t require any movement.